March Madness 2011 Bracket: Top 10 Games to Watch on Friday
The first day of the NCAA tournament gave us thrilling finishes and memorable individual performances. I'm here to tell you that you can expect more of the same exciting action on Friday as well.
I will list the top 10 games that you should be watching as part of the second half of the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Let me know if you have any comments or concerns, regardless if they are positive or negative.
10. Duke vs. Hampton
1 of 10
This game has relevance for one reason, and it has nothing to do with the Hampton Pirates.
The word is that superstar freshman Kyrie Irving will make his long-awaited return in the Blue Devils' opening-round matchup versus the aforementioned Pirates. During Irving’s first eight games of his freshman campaign, the highly touted guard averaged 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
The ramifications of Irving’s return are too numerous to mention individually, but trust me when I say that Kyrie Irving elevates Duke to a totally new level.
The one obvious question will be how effective Kyrie can be after returning from his toe injury.
9. Xavier vs. Marquette
2 of 10
Marquette squeaked into the NCAA tournament as the 11th Big East team admitted into the field.
The Golden Eagles are certainly a worthy tournament team, but if they have any intention of moving on, they will have to find a way to slow down Tu Holloway and the Musketeers.
Holloway averages 20.5 points per game and leads Xavier’s offensive attack. The onus will be on Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue to slow down the Musketeers' high-powered scorer.
If Marquette can ground Holloway, then players such as Mark Lyons and Dante Jackson will have to take on increased scoring roles for Xavier in this first-round contest.
To call this a matchup between a power school and a mid-major wouldn’t be fair, because Xavier has achieved NCAA tournament success that many of the power schools only dream about. Regardless, a win over Marquette would quiet any remaining doubters that Xavier has. Adversely, a loss would open up the Atlantic 10 heavyweight to criticism.
8. Georgetown vs. Virginia Commonwealth
3 of 10
Georgetown is similar to Villanova in the fact that the Hoyas are in free-fall mode like the Wildcats.
The one thing that Georgetown has going for them that Villanova doesn’t is that the Hoyas are getting back arguably their best player in point guard Chris Wright.
Wright’s participation in the game and his effectiveness, or possibly lack thereof, will be interesting to watch. Georgetown has lost four in a row and the Hoyas are clearly not the same team without Wright in the lineup.
Virginia Commonwealth will try to follow up their victory over USC with another win over the Big East giant that is Georgetown. Virginia Commonwealth has already silenced many of their critics who said they should be in the NIT rather than the NCAA tournament, but a win here would be the icing on the cake.
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7. UNLV vs. Illinois
4 of 10
Illinois has had a disappointing season in comparison to their lofty preseason expectations. Luckily for head coach Bruce Weber, a good showing in the NCAA tournament cures all previous missteps.
A lengthy NCAA tournament run won’t be easy for this 19-13 Illinois Fighting Illini team, though. UNLV greets Illinois in Round 1 and the Runnin' Rebels have more than enough firepower to send the boys from Champaign, Illinois packing.
Tre’Von Willis and Chase Stanbeck carry the majority of the scoring load for UNLV and are a one-two punch that has shown the ability to carry UNLV on their backs at times.
Illinois will counter with electrifying senior guard Demetri McCamey, who will be trying to end his celebrated college career with a bang rather than a first-round whimper.
6. Arizona vs. Memphis
5 of 10
There are several layers to this first-round matchup between Arizona and Memphis that makes this game interesting.
The first thing that stands out is that Memphis head coach Josh Pastner used to be an assistant coach at Arizona under Lute Olson.
The second reason why this game is must-watch basketball is Arizona forward Derrick Williams. Derrick is averaging 19.1 points per game and is arguably the most explosive player in the tournament.
It should also be mentioned that Memphis was one of the favorite to land the aforementioned Derrick Williams out of high school before Williams ultimately committed to Arizona.
Finally, Memphis' talented, yet inexperienced squad is somewhat intriguing in the fact that the Tigers have the talent to compete with Arizona, but they might not necessarily have the experience.
As you can see, there is a reason why this Memphis-Arizona game has garnered considerable hype for a first round matchup.
5. Texas vs. Oakland
6 of 10
To the untrained eye, this game might appear to have “Texas blowout” written all over it, but as Lee Corso likes to say: “Not so fast, my friend.”
Oakland is 25-9 and has a road win over Tennessee in their back pocket. In addition, the Grizzlies have one of the best players in the tournament that you have likely never heard of in center Keith Benson.
Benson is a 6'11'', 230-pound senior from Farmington Hills, Michigan that is averaging 18 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Benson is more than up to the task of tangling with heralded Texas freshman Tristan Thompson in the post. The challenge for the Grizzlies will be slowing down swingman Jordan Hamilton and guard J’Covan Brown.
The Longhorns' perimeter talent is the area in which Texas has Oakland outgunned, and it will be interesting to see if Oakland can compensate for the talent disparity in the backcourt and hang with Texas.
4. Washington vs. Georgia
7 of 10
Georgia head coach Mark Fox has done a magnificent job of guiding the Bulldogs back to the NCAA tournament.
The question now becomes whether the Bulldogs can make their NCAA appearance memorable.
Athletic playmakers Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins lead the way for a Georgia squad that will look to rebound from a heartbreaking loss to Washington in the SEC tournament.
Washington, meanwhile, is riding high after winning the Pac-10 tournament and will look to carry that positive momentum into the NCAA tourney. Point guard Isaiah Thomas is the catalyst for the Huskies offense and his performance will go a long way in determining whether or not Washington moves on.
3. Florida State vs. Texas A&M
8 of 10
How will Texas A&M deal with Florida State’s massive frontcourt?
That will be the storyline to watch in this first-round matchup. The Aggies have skilled forwards in David Loubeau and Khris Middleton, but I’m not sure if A&M can deal with imposing big men, Bernard James and Xavier Gibson.
The other intriguing aspect about this first-round matchup will be the status of Florida State forward Chris Singleton.
Singleton averages 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, but hasn’t played since February 12th. Singleton’s status for the Seminoles' first-round matchup versus Texas A&M is uncertain, and his involvement, or lack thereof, in the game will be something to watch.
2. Villanova vs. George Mason
9 of 10
Villanova has lost their last five games and appears to be in free-fall mode. George Mason, meanwhile, won their last 16 games before falling to Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Conference tournament.
The obvious question in this matchup will be whether Villanova can right their sinking ship and revert back to their late-December, early-January form
The Wildcats will rely on guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes to propel forward a sputtering offense that has failed to score 70 points in four of their past five games.
George Mason, meanwhile, will rely on their inside-outside duo of Cam Long and Ryan Pearson against Jay Wright’s Villanova squad.
Will Villanova be able to put together an NCAA tournament run, or will Mason be able to rekindle some of their 2006 Final Four magic?
1. Michigan vs. Tennessee
10 of 10
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton’s comments about Bruce Pearl’s lack of job security have only intensified the intrigue of this first-round matchup.
Tennessee’s season has been an up-and-down roller coaster ride, to say the least, and everyone is watching to see how the Volunteers' crazy 2010-2011 season will end.
Tennessee definitely has the talent, with players such as Scotty Hopson and Tobias Harris, to do some NCAA tourney damage. Michigan will present looks that will be different from anything that Tennessee has seen thus far this season. The Wolverines play a one-three-one defense that can prove to be enigmatic for opponents and offensively Michigan stretches defenses with a bevy of three-point shooters.
This matchup is intriguing in itself, but the added drama that came with Mike Hamilton’s comments pushed the Wolverines-Volunteers matchup to the top of the list.
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